Capitol Reef National Park

I am posting from the campgrounds internet service which is very slow, I have been working on this post off and on all day. Took three hours just to upload the pictures so I had to reduce their size to get them to upload. I have a great little video but I can't get it to upload, will try again tomorrow.

We will probably be moving to a campground within the park in a couple of days and I will not be able to post due to no service.

We got up early (10:00 am) and headed to the park to see the sites. Mac came with us because it's tough trying to get out the door in the morning when he knows we are leaving. So we take him in the morning then we return to the motorhome and let him sleep in the afternoon while we take off again.

I would have to say that this is the most beautiful of the three parks that we have seen to far, but we still have two or three to go before we head home.

Tomorrow we do some off roading again to see some of the back country sites that not everyone gets to see.

Here we are at the entrance of Capitol Reef

Joyce was still looking for that special rock Still looking
And looking
We both found a special rock with a mouth and face, we are in the mouth.

Mac has to get in the act also.

Some of the sites from the road.
This formation is called the Castle
Joyce still looking
Pulled off the road for this shot.
An old Mormon Farm within the park.

Old homes in the town outside of the park.

Last Day in Bryce, and What a Day

On our last day we took another ride down a scenic "Backway" which means dusty, dirty, Jeep inside and out. So we figured what the heck why not get it really dirty so after traveling about 10 miles into no-mans land, we took some of the ATV trails to see where they went. Now keep in mind that these trails are for ATV's which are a bit smaller than a Jeep. We were probably about a mile in on the ATV path and I figured we had better turn around in case we got stuck. Below is a picture of the Jeep on the path.

Found a patch of snow.

On our way in on the ATV path we spotted these HooDoos. They looked to be close enough so we started our trek up the small hill.

Yea, small hill that seemed to keep getting steeper the more we climbed it. Remember, we are over 8000 feet up and the air is thin so I'm feeling like I'm ready for another heart attack and Joyce wants me to pull her up the hill.
Well we finally made it to the top so I jambed the camera in a tree to get a picture of us so we could prove that we did it.

A dead tree at the top that probably died from the lack of oxygen.

These are the HooDoo's that we saw from down below, can you see Joyce? I wanted her to climb to the top so we could get a really great picture. Wouldn't do it!!!

We had a great day running to back rodes in the Jeep and returned to the campground for dinner. After dinner we had planned to take a ride to a spot that was suppose to be great for sunset pictures. But------- after dinner my Kidney Stone decided it was time to move. The pain didn't back-off this time so it was an 18 mile ride to the hospital in the next town. It seemed like Joyce was driving very slow but I'm sure she wasn't. We finally got to the Emergency room entrance and the door was locked, oh man don't tell me they're closed on the weekends!!!

There was a button we had to push to get someone to unlock the door, ah the door opened and we were greeted by two nurses that immediately got me to a bed and started taking information. Wow, what service!! We then found out that there were only five people in this hospital and two of them were Joyce and I. The building and everything in it was new but this was mainly only an Emergency Room. The doctor that first saw me had a badge that read "Class of 2009", wow, this kid was still in school. While talking to the first trainee, the nurse called in the real doctor that lived down the street.

Well by the time the real doctor came in, the pain started to go away so we decided to give me some good drugs and see if the stone passes.

Joyce and I left the hospital, stopped by the local grocery store which was closing, and pick up some badly needed items.

Upon returning to the campground, the Kidney Stone had worked it's way down and I passed it just before going to bed. AH, the end of a perfect day!!

HooDoos & Grosvenor Arch

We headed out this morning from our camp at Bryce Canyon for Cottonwood Canyon Road Scenic Backway which is a dirt road that takes you out to scenic areas where most people don't travel.

We were on a trek for HooDoos and Grosvenor Arch which was suppose to be two miles off the dirt road we had just traveled nine miles on. The rode took us through some beautiful back country where there was perfect silence except for the occasional plane that flew over.

This is a section of the road.

Grosvenor Arch

Another picture of the arch
The Arch from the back
HooDoos
More HooDoos

Camped at Bryce Canyon

Joyce follows me as I enter the tunnel out of Zion and travel to our next destination, Bryce Canyon.

We're here but guess what, there's snow in Bryce and it's cold. Glad we are only here for three nights.

Joyce and her new friend at Bryce
Some of the scenery along the road into the park.


I would have like to post more pictures but we have a slow internet connection and it's getting late so good night!